Cue rack



y 198 G. 1.. BLUMENSCHEIN 3,381,824

CUE BACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

60200 1 54 UMVVSCA/E/A/ Filed Feb. 18, 1966 A TTORNE YS ay 7, 1968 G. L. BLUMENSCHEIN 3,381,324

CUE RACK Filed Feb. 18, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Gozoon/ Z. 154 UMNSCf/l/V M %4m 7 %74d M I I ATTORNbYS Unite ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Pole supported rack for billiard and pool cues and balls. The pole is telescopic and extensibly biased to be held between the floor and ceiling of a room, A platform for the handle ends of the cues is mounted on the pole adjacent the lower end of the pole. A formed wire rack is at the top of the pole and has a plurality of circular loops formed from a single piece of wire and extending to opposite sides of a central open bight of the rack. The central bight fits partially about the pole and the formed circular loops extend to opposite sides of the central bight. A clip compresses the bight into firm engagement with the pole. Formed Wire, ball supporting brackets are mounted on the pole between the platform and the formed wire rack in vertically and angularly spaced relation with respect to each other and have generally circular ball supporting receptacles at the ends of the brackets.

Summary and objects of the invention A principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved rack for billiard or pool cues and balls, which may readily be set up and taken down and stored out of the way.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of pole supported rack for billiard and pool cues and balls, in which the pole is resiliently biased into an extended position and is retained between the floor and ceiling of a room by its tendency to extend, and in which the pole forms a unitary support for the cues, balls and other accessories.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of detachable pole supported bracket, supporting billiard balls and the like and positioned in various selected positions along the pole and maintained in position by the off-center location of the bracket with respect to the center line of the pole.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved form of article support bracket, readily attachable to a pole and the like by merely placing the bracket on the pole and held in position on the pole by the overcenter relation of the support with respect to the center of the pole.

Another and important object of the invention is to provide a simple form of article support bracket readily attachable to a pole and the like by merely placing the support on the pole, in which a loop of wire forms a receptacle and support for the article and an open spiral loop extends about the pole and retains the bracket in position on the pole by the overcenter position of the article supported on the receptacle, with respect to the vertical axis of the pole.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings where FIGURE 1 is a front end view of a cue rack constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, showing the rack in position between the floor and ceiling of a room;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of an article support bracket supporting a billiard ball on the pole and looking at the bracket from one side thereof;

States Patent ice FIGURE 3 is a view in side elevation of the bracket shown in FIGURE 2 looking at the bracket toward the opposite side from the side shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the bracket shown in FIGURES 2 and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line VV of FIGURE 1 and showing certain details of the rack for the tip portions of the cues;

FIGURE 6 is a view in side elevation of a modified form in which the invention may be embodied, showing a modified form of cue ball supporting bracket mounted on a rectangular pole;

FIGURE 7 is a front end view of the bracket shown in FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the bracket shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in FIGURE 1 a cue rack 10 in the form of a telescopic extensible pole 11, biased in an extended position by a spring (not shown) in a conventional manner. The pole itself is not part of the present, invention except insofar as it forms the main support member for the rack and is readily positionable between the floor and ceiling of a room and retained in position by the bias of the pole, to retain the rack in place.

A platform 12 is mounted on the pole 11 at the lower end portion thereof at substantially table height and forms a support for the bases or handle ends of pool or billiard cues 13, 13. The platform 12 has a hook 15 extending therefrom for a ball rack 16.

A wire rack member 17 is mounted on the pole adjacent the upper end thereof and has a plurality of open loops or receptacles 18, formed integrally therewith by bending a single piece of wire, through which the tip portions of the cues 13, 13 extend, to retain the cues in generally vertical positions on the platform 12.

The rack member 17 is shown in FIGURE 5 as being formed from a single piece of wire bent to have a central bight 19 in which the bight portion is generally circular in plan view and extends partially about the pole 11 and has a pair of generally parallel legs 20, 20 extending therefrom forwardly of the pole, when the bracket member is in position on the pole. The legs 20, 20 terminate at their forward ends into laterally extending arms 21, 21 shown in FIGURES 1 and 5 as extending backwardly and upwardly from the fornt ends of the legs 20, 20 in opposite directions, at equal angles with respect to said legs.

In assembling the bracket to the pole 11 the bight 19 is placed about the pole from the outer ends of the legs 26, 20, stressing the bight to fit about the pole and be retained thereto by the resiliency of the wire from which the rack member is made. When the bight 19 is placed about the pole in firm engagement therewith, the legs 20, 20 are stressed inwardly by hand and a clip 23 is placed thereover, to retain the bight portion into firm engagement with the pole, and to thereby retain the rack member in position on the pole.

As shown in FIGURES l and 5 the receptacles 18 are formed by bending the wire into generally closed spiral loops with one run of the wire lapping the other at the inner end portion of the loop, to form all of the re ceptacles 18 from a single piece of wire.

Pool or billiard balls 24 are shown as being spaced along the pole and supported in outwardly and angularly extending relation with respect to the pole on a plurality of bracket members 25 slipped onto the pole sideways and then turned to horizontal supporting positions, and retained in position by the overcenter positions of ball supporting receptacles 26 of the bracket members with respect to the vertical center line of the pole.

As shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 each bracket member 25 is formed from a single length of wire bent to form. The receptacle 26 is shown as being in the form of a generally closed circular loop, although the loop need not be circular or closed, but may be of various forms desired. A support leg 27 is shown as extending generally tangentially of the loop forming the receptacle 26 and terminating into a sharp angled vertically extending spiral loop 29, of an inside diameter equal substantially to the outside diameter of the pole 11. The spiral loop 29 is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 as having an iangularly downwardly extending spiral leg portion 30 when mounted on the pole, extending along the opposite side of the pole from the leg 27 and terminating into an opposite downwardly extending leg portion 31, having a tip 33 on the free end thereof, and engaging the opposite side of the pole 11 from the leg 30. The tip 33 may be generally cylindrical in form and is shown as having a closed end 35. The tip 33 may be made from a plastic or rubber material, to provide a firm grip on the pole and to prevent marring of the pole by the end of the wire.

The bracket member 25 may be placed on the pole 11 by positioning the member 25 with the receptacle or loop 26 extending generally vertical and the spiral portion 29 thereof opening to the back of the pole. The open spiral portion 29 may thus be moved into engagement with the opposite side of the pole from the loop 26. The bracket member 25 may then be twisted in a direction, which in FIGURE 2 would be a clockwise direction, to snap the spiral loop portion of the bracket member into engagement with the pole, with the tip 33 pressed into firm engagement with the side of the pole. The open loop and tip 33 are in effect snapped into engagement with the side of the pole, and with the off-center location of the center of the receptacle 29 with respect to the center of the spiral 29. The bracket member will be firmly held in position on the pole by the weight of an article sup ported thereon, which tends to continually take up on the bracket member on the pole.

It should here be understood that while the bracket member 25 shown herein is for supporting billiard or pool balls, that it may be used for various purposes, such as supporting vases or flower pots, or may be so formed as to support shoes or other articles on a pole, which may be placed in a closet.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8, I have shown a bracket member 36 adapted for mounting on a pole 11 of a rectangular cross-section. The bracket member 36 is shown as including a receptacle 37 for supporting pool, billiard balls or other articles and in the form of a generally closed loop of circular form. It should be understood, however, that the loop 37 need not be closed and need not be circular, but may be formed to the form required for supporting a selected article thereon. The loop 37 terminates into an integrally formed leg 39 extending generally radially of the periphery of the loop, but offset to one side of the center of the loop. The leg 39 terminates at its inner end into a generally rectangular spirally formed open loop 40 having rectangular sides generally conforming to the cross-section of the pole 111.

As shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, the rectangular spiral open loop 40 is formed by a diagonally upwardly extending leg 41, formed integrally with the leg 36 and extending to one side thereof and along the front face of the pole 111 to an outer side thereof. The leg 41 terminates into a generally horizontally extending leg 42 extending along a side of the post 11 to the opposite side thereof from the leg 41. The leg 42 terminates into a diagonally upwardly extending leg 43 extending diagonally upwardly along the back of the post and terminating into a generally horizontally extending leg 44 extending along the opposite side wall of the post from the leg 42. The leg 44 in turn terminates into an upwardly inclined leg 45 extending diagonallyinwardly along the front wall of the post parallel to the leg 41 and having a resilient tip 46 like the tip 33 on the end thereof and engaging the front wall of the post.

The bracket member is clipped to the post by extending the looped receptacle 37 generally vertically to one side of the post and moving the leg 40 into engagement with the back wall of the post in a generally horizontal position. The bracket member 40 may then be turned in a clockwise direction to bring the leg 45 and tip 46 into firm engagement with the front wall of the post and retain the bracket in position on the post by the resiliency of the material from which the bracket is made as well, and the off-center location of the leg 39, supporting the receptacle 37 off-center with respect to the center of the post, whereby weight on the receptacle will tend to twist the closed spiral into firm engagement with the post.

It will be noted that in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 the open spiral gripping portion of the bracket member extends downwardly of the looped receptacle, while in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 the reetangul-arly looped gripping portion of the bracket member extends upwardly of the looped receptacle.

While the spiral looped gripping portions may extend upwardly or downwardly of the receptacle, it has been found that with a pole having a circular wall, a better gripping action is attained where the looped gripping portion extends downwardly of the receptacle, and where the pole is rectangular, a better gripping action is attained where the spiral looped gripping portion extends upwardly of the receptacle. The particular arrangement shown with the resilient tips on the ends of the open spirals improve the gripping action of the bracket members on the post, assuring they will stay in position even where the pole may be subject to vibration. The gripping action, of course, may be increased by closing the spiral, making it necessary to snap the spiral gripping portion to the pole, or by increasing the offset of the receptacle loop from the spiral loop.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple and improved form of cue rack has been provided in which the rack may readily be set up in a room when playing a game of billiards or pool and may be removed and placed in a closet when not in use.

It may further be seen that the retaining bracket for the cues is formed from a single piece of wire bent to form, and that the support brackets for the balls are also formed from single pieces of wire snapped or twisted to the pole and retained in the desired position along the pole by the overcenter location of the receptacle with respect to the pole, and by the plastic tips on the ends of the open loops.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it should be understood that various modifications and variations in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A rack for pool cues and the like comprising:

a telescopic extensibly biased pole adapted to be held between the floor and ceiling of a room by the bias of the pole,

a platform on said pole adjacent the lower end thereof, adapted to support the handle ends of the cues,

a formed wire rack adjacent the top of the pole comprising a plurality of circular loops formed from a single piece of wire and extending to opposite sides of a central open bight formed in the single piece of wire and adapted to fit partially about the pole, and having parallel legs extending from said central open bight forwardly of the pole and forming supports for the circular loops, and

clip means clipped to the outer sides of the parallel legs and compressing the bight into firm engagement with the pole.

2. The structure of claim 1,

wherein formed wire ball supporting brackets are mounted on the pole between the platform and the rack, and

wherein each bracket has a ball supporting loop and a spaced open vertically extending spiral loop forming a continuation of the ball supporting loop and extending downwardly therefrom and fitting about the pole, and supporting the ball supporting 100p oif-center from the center of the pole, and retaining the ball supporting bracket to the pole by the olfcenter location of the circular loop with respect to the pole.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein a resilient generally cylindrical tab having a closed end is mounted on the free end of the spiral loop and is engaged by the pole by the off-center weight of the ball on the rack, for firmly retaining the rack in position on the pole, and accommodating adjustable movement of the rack along the pole.

4. The structure of claim 2,

wherein the pole is rectangular in cross-section,

wherein the ball supporting rack has a generally circular closed loop support structure having a leg extending therefrom, and

wherein an open rectangular loop extends upwardly from the leg and is formed to conform to the cross section of the pole and to position the closed ball supporting loop off-center from the center of the pole, and is retained in position by the weight of the ball supported on the closed loop with its center olfcenter from the center of the pole.

5. In an article bracket and in combination with a vertical rectangular pole,

a single wire bent to form two connected loops,

one of which is generally closed and has a leg extending therefrom,

and the other of which is in the form of a vertically extending open generally spiral loop extending upwardly of said leg,

the open generally spiral loop being of a generally rectangular form extending along four sides of the pole and terminating on the same side of the pole as the leg, and

the leg olfsetting the closed loop from the center of the pole to retain the bracket to the pole by the over-center weight of an article on the bracket.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein a resilient gen erally cylindrical sleeve having a closed outer end is mounted on the end of the spiral loop and is engaged with the same side of the pole as the leg, by the resiliency of the wire of the loop.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,478,043 12/1923 Mat-teson 211-68 1,597,095 8/19 6 Martinsen 248246 3,064,933 11/1962 Brasty 248- XR 3,263,026 7/ 1966' Kihs 248--302 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 385,442 3/ 1965 Switzerland.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 

